


Rodney's No Good, Very Bad, But Getting Better Day

by Brumeier



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Alternate Universe, Car Accidents, First Meetings, M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-05
Updated: 2015-05-05
Packaged: 2018-03-29 05:04:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3883351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brumeier/pseuds/Brumeier
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes a fender bender isn't a bad thing, as Rodney finds out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rodney's No Good, Very Bad, But Getting Better Day

**Author's Note:**

  * For [darkmoore](https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkmoore/gifts).



> For the lovely darkmoore on her birthday. I hope a good day is right around the corner for you, sweetie!

Rodney couldn’t believe his bad luck. His boss was riding his ass at work, he’d tripped over the cat this morning and fallen, bruising his tailbone, and now he’d somehow rear-ended the car in front of him. Well…he’d been checking the results of his latest simulation on his tablet and possibly not paying enough attention to traffic, which was why he’d been taking the back road to the lab in the first place. Actually, he was pretty sure the pickup had come out of nowhere and cut him off, so really it wasn’t even his fault.

The other guy didn’t seem to agree.

“Damn it! I just bought this thing!” The guy was tall and lanky, dressed all in black from his t-shirt to his engineer boots. He ran a hand over his mangled bumper. “Son of a bitch.”

Rodney wasn’t exactly thrilled about the damage to his own car. Well, his rental car. He supposed he should be thankful they’d given him an SUV, because anything smaller would’ve been more mangled.

“You swerved right in front of me,” he said, jabbing his finger at the guy. “I could’ve been killed! Where did you learn to drive? A correspondence course?”

The guy’s eyebrows crawled up his forehead. “I made a completely legal left turn. _You_ hit _me_ , pal.”

“Oh, no you don’t! I looked up and –”

“You looked up?” The guy crossed his arms over his chest. “That would imply you weren’t looking forward. You know. Like someone driving a car really should be.”

Damn. The guy was too intelligent by far and he looked good in black, mysterious and sexy. If they’d met in a bar, Rodney might have tried to pick him up. Maybe. If he’d had enough to drink to make him brave.

“Look, let’s just say that I may have been preoccupied and you’re a bad driver, and leave it at that.” Rodney was nothing if not magnanimous, besides which he was going to be late for his staff meeting. “I don’t have time to call the cops, so let’s just exchange insurance information and I’ll be on my way.”

“I don’t think leaving the scene of an accident is a good idea.”

Of course he didn’t. Rodney was about to let this good-looking but misguided guy know exactly what the chances were of him sticking around when the tablet pinged and every other thought flew out of his head. He dove through the open car door and snatched it off the passenger seat.

“Yes!” he crowed. “I can muffle propulsion an additional fifteen percent!”

When Rodney wasn’t looking, Mr. Tall, Dark and Sexy moved behind him and looked over his shoulder. “Are those the specs for Darkwing Duck?”

Rodney jumped and turned, hastily thumbing the tablet into sleep mode. “I wish people would stop calling it that! It’s the Darkwing DX-5 stealth fighter. And…wait. That’s a classified project, how do you even know about it?”

“I’m the guy who gets to take it for a spin.” 

And, whoa. That was a sexy smirk. Rodney momentarily forgot what he was going to say. But only momentarily.

“You’re John Sheppard?”

“In the flesh.” John held his hand out for Rodney to shake. “You must be the egghead in charge.”

“Dr. Rodney McKay. And you must have a few screws loose, if you want to test-drive an experimental aircraft.” Not that he expected anything less from a flyboy with gravity-defying hair standing up in spiky cowlicks. “That’s a long way to fall.”

“I hear Atlantis Aeronautics has their best mind on it. Although if you build jets with the same attention to detail you put towards driving…”

“Oh, ha ha. Very funny.” Rodney checked his watch and grimaced. “I really have to go, though. If I miss this meeting I’m screwed.”

“I’m sure we can work something out.” John gave him a look that was surprisingly suggestive, and Rodney could feel his face flushing hot. “I’m due for a few hours in the simulator, but maybe we can get a drink after?”

“Really? I mean, sure. That, uh, that sounds good.” Did he just make a date with the guy whose car he rear-ended? Holy crap.

“Good. We can exchange insurance information then. You might want to call the rental company, though. After your meeting.” John gave Rodney one last smirk and then he climbed into his pickup and drove off, twangy guitar music floating out his open window.

Rodney pinched himself to make sure he hadn’t just dreamed up the world’s lamest meet cute; not a dream. He couldn’t help grinning as he slid back behind the wheel. The day had started out badly, but now it definitely had potential. He was going to blow Sam’s socks off with the results of his simulation, and then later…maybe John would blow _Rodney’s_ socks off. In a manner of speaking.

“Smartest man in the world,” he murmured smugly to himself as he got back on the road.


End file.
